Someone They Love
by Lyggy
Summary: Everyone had someone they loved in the Department of Mysteries. Chapter Three: Hermione.
1. Luna

~*~*~*~Someone They Love~*~*~*~  
  
/]) L U N A ([\  
  
Luna sighed in her dormitory. The others had all gone for lunch, but she didn't really feel like eating. They called her Loony Lovegood, but she didn't really mind. She borrowed books from Muggle library over the summer, and her father sent two a week by own.  
  
She turned the page. Muggles were so obsessed with escaping from their world. It was nowhere near as complicated as the wizarding world. They had no idea. The planet was on the brink of a magical war, and still Muggles ploughed through stories about other worlds. Luna was particularly intrigued by one author, and a story about Rings and Elves and fallen empires. It was more than she could have dreamt of. Wizards were simply disinterested in such things; they had better things to do.  
  
Luna had never really fitted in. She mused in the middle of conversations, but felt she was saner than most in her year. Because she occasionally escaped into alternate realities, her view of the real world was considerably clearer. They said she wasted her time with silly books, but then again they wasted their time with silly boys, and at least books didn't make you cry.  
  
There was a boy that could make Luna cry; despite the thick skin she had developed from the mutters of her peers. Not necessarily aimed at her, but usually about her. "Shut up, here comes Loony Lovegood." "Would you look at the size of that book? It's not even for school!" It didn't really matter to Luna. What did they expect her to do? Sacrifice her own contentment for their comfort?  
  
There was a boy that said some of those things, but not to Luna. That was what made her cry sometimes, in the middle of the night. Little tears splashed random pages of the Ottery St. Catchpole Library's copy of "Les Miserables", and of several other favourites. The boy wasn't in her year. He wasn't even in her house, but she knew him. She had known him long before he had known her.  
  
Perhaps Ron Weasley hadn't noticed the blond girl who used to sit on a stile just outside the village, staring at the clouds, or into a tome, but she had noticed him. An occasional yell often went up from the hill, generally followed by a flash of bright red hair. At those times, Luna would look up, and she would smile when the same voice shouted, "George! You did that on purpose!" though it could be at the boy Fred either.  
  
Then she had gone to Hogwarts, and it had all been different. He hadn't even realised she was alive for four years. His sister was in Luna's year - she was stroppy enough at the best of times, but could be quite nice, too. Luna had never paid her much attention. She was another one to refer to her as "Loony".  
  
Detaching oneself from the social rat race of teenage life had its advantages. Luna alone knew that Terry Boot had gone out with Emma Dobbs, even though he was Lisa Turpin's boyfriend - and also that Lisa was feeling terrible for kissing Eddie Carmichael that same night. Luna saw the backstabbing that went on among the cliques, and how the 'nice' girls were every bit as gossipy as the 'nasty' ones. She was quite happy not to be a part of it.  
  
It also gave Luna a clearer outlook on the male part of Hogwarts' population. She could quite happily muse on different boys without feeling guilty because he was so-and-so's ex-boyfriend from third year, since her very presence seemed to offend people about as much as was possible.  
  
It had all changed in fourth year. She had started becoming friendly with Ron and Harry. She had laughed extra-hard at Ron's jokes, and liked to gaze at him for minutes on end. It had just dawned on her that Ron was potential boyfriend material, but it cut her deeply to see that the feeling was not mutual. No, Ron's heart was given to Hermione Granger, a mundane Muggle-born who was the total opposite of Luna.  
  
Hermione was given to facts and tangible evidence, a true critic of everything the Quibbler stood for. Luna believed that belief itself was enough to make something real, that people did not make silly claims for the sake of it. At the heart of every tale is a particle of truth.  
  
Even in looks, Hermione was completely different. Hermione was tall, with bushy brown hair and brown eyes. Luna was of average height, slighter; silky blond hair flowed down her back and her piercing blue eyes seemed misty.  
  
Luna sighed again, and returned to her book. She turned the page; the book ended in a startling cliffhanger that had driven her mad at first. She slammed it shut, and went down to dinner. 


	2. Ron

~*~*~*~Someone They Love~*~*~*~  
  
/]) R O N ([\  
  
There wasn't much use denying it, really. He fancied Hermione. About time he bloody well faced up to it. Nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone fancied their friend at some stage, didn't they? Well, this was a bit beyond fancying.  
  
He was head over heels about her. The way she smiled, the way she flipped her hair when she got annoyed, the way she wasn't afraid to tell people off... including him. Now that, he didn't like. She was too sharp with him, as though she wanted - no, she couldn't know. He hadn't said anything, not even to Harry.  
  
Harry, yes, that was it. Ron had seen the way Hermione looked at him: the golden boy, the Quidditch star, Dumbledore's favourite. Ron had nothing but respect for his best friend, but he couldn't pretend it was annoying; always standing on the sidelines while Harry got all the glory. Got the girl.  
  
He couldn't help but feel a twinge of bitterness when he thought of last June. It had been terrible, of course, but his hazy memory of the time under the Confundus curse told him that Harry had barely cared... Ron rubbed the scars on his arms. Knowing he was second best hurt even more.  
  
Ron scowled, thinking of all the times Harry and Hermione must've had cosy little chats without him - like when Sirius turned up in the fire and started talking about Harry's scar. Ron had been totally clueless, and they'd just told him to shut up.  
  
As if that wasn't bad enough, that stupid Loony Lovegood liked him! Of course, he couldn't have Hermione, but the weirdo - yeah, she was good enough for him.  
  
Face curled in a filthy sulk, Ron threw himself off the bed and stormed down into the Common Room. He picked up his bag, which he had left in a corner by the door, and stomped off to the library. Harry and Hermione, of course, were nowhere to be found. There was homework to do. He could worry about them later.  
  
Worry being the operative word.  
  
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Phire Phoenix Chan: Yes, it's R/L - and a few other pairings, too.  
  
tex: I don't support R/Hr any more.  
  
I Could Be a Fan: There won't be much more about Luna. And her hair was "dirty-blonde" which is a hair colour, not smelly.  
  
Psy_Girl: Hermione and Harry? Hell, yes!  
  
Miranda: Thanks!  
  
Jackie: I'm just giving her conditioner in my fic. ;) Don't worry, it's not R/Hr - Ron fancies her, but - like in the books - the feeling is not mutual. 


	3. Hermione

~*~*~*~Someone They Love~*~*~*~  
  
/]) H E R M I O N E ([\  
  
The library was always noisier at lunchtime; a muted blend of voices lurked a few aisles away. Hermione said nothing herself. She was busy doing research, but it wasn't for homework - it was, after all, only the first day back.  
  
She sang a snatch of a Muggle love song she'd heard over the summer aloud, then quickly coloured as she thought about the lyrics. Fed up, she closed "How to Know What's on His Mind: A Girlfriend's Guide" and replaced it on the shelf. It said nothing about checking if a boy liked you.  
  
She knew all about one boy, unfortunately. Ron. It had been obvious ever since the Yule Ball in their Fourth Year, when she had briefly dated Viktor Krum - a Quidditch player who was practically Ron's hero. She smiled, recalling a conversation she had had with Krum, about Harry. Viktor had said that Harry was a better flyer, and knew some Defence Against the Dark Arts he (Krum) had never heard of. Perhaps that had been the beginning of it.  
  
Hermione swung her bag onto her back in a smooth arc; her face was blanketed in worry and she bit her lip as she left the library. Why was it that she could read Ron's face like a book, but Harry was utterly unfathomable? She thought she knew. Maybe she had always known. It was a pity he didn't.  
  
It was something of a mixed blessing, thought Hermione bitterly as she made her way to Gryffindor tower. Though she wanted Harry to think of her as more than 'just Hermione', part of her could not help but despair in the knowledge that the feeling was not mutual; if Harry ever found out how she felt, their friendship would dissolve in awkwardness.  
  
She stopped short while mounting the stairs, unable to take it any more; then she made up her mind and leapt up the staircase to the seventh floor. A few short minutes later, she was standing in front of a bare stretch of wall. 'Give me a sign,' thought Hermione desperately; 'anything, some indication that he might...'  
  
The door to the Room of Requirement materialised. Hermione trembled as she pushed it open. A book and a note lay on the rickety table in the otherwise bare room. Hermione tiptoed over to it and lifted the book. "Does He Love You?" read the title. The note was fixed to the book, just beneath the title, with a Temporary Sticking Charm.  
  
Yes  
But he doesn't  
know yet.  
  
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roxoan: When did she say that?! Hermione fancied Ron in GoF, but by OotP it looked to me like her feelings were fading.  
  
Daintress: Thanks for reviewing, and I read "Lucius Got Run Over by a Snorkack"! I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time!  
  
OrganisedMess: Your wish is my command! :D 


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